The Good Fortune of Others ...

Cancer still kills.  On the 29^th of May, my wife took our dog Oscar to the vet to see what could be done to help a pain he had developed in his leg.  Oscar never came home again.  It was not just some ordinary ache or pain, or even a case of treatable arthritis.  Instead it was the same aggressive cancer that killed his sister Layla only a few months ago.  It seems Oscar had it as well, for perhaps even a longer period of time, he simply had a higher tolerance for pain, so we never knew.  We were not prepared for this loss.  As is often the case, death comes and interrupts, what you were thinking.  And we did not lose Oscar without prayer, I had been praying for him since his sister got sick, never knowing just how much he needed that prayer, and was being sustained by it.  But cancer still kills.  And I have lost more than just a family pet, I have lost a nurse dog who stood beside me, and leaned against me anytime I was too shaky to attempt standing.  He would steady me as I moved.  One of the side effects of my medication is a shaky short-term memory, so when I would forget to take my medicine, Oscar would come and remind me.  He only did that when I needed it.  Otherwise he was content to sit on my feet while I work, even closer when it rained.  My dogs were very obedient, even learning to go to the bathroom on command.  They were full of love, and were fierce protectors of my family.  I cannot imagine life without them, and so will be looking to reclaim them once again in a Kingdom yet to come.

For now, while my life yet goes on, I will begin my search for another Akita breeder and hope I can do as well despite my doubt that will ever be possible.  These two have set the bar quite high.  It is somewhat ironic that my wife spends her career helping those with cancer.  It is her passion, even if there is no way to translate it to the animals in our circle.  Very often she brings home the need of a given patient and their family for prayer, as science has only been able to go so far.  And cancer still kills.  So we pray for them.  I seldom know their names, as HIPPA must be maintained.  But she knows them, and God knows them.  What I know, is that “horse lady” is in full remission.  But a “young man” recently died, an atheist his whole life, until a series of encounters with a few Christians including “horse lady” as they both got treatment.  There will be a star in her crown, even if she does not know it.  The “young man” came to know Jesus before the end took him.  “Frank” who chose to tell me his name, believes in God so strongly that he prefers to live on prayer, even more than treatment.  Much to the frustration of his Hindu cancer doctor.  But Frank still lives.

And it occurs to me, not all my prayers are answered.  As not all the prayers of those in that cancer treatment center are answered as they asked them.  And I wonder, do the families of those who have suffered loss, take great joy in those who still remain?  Or does our own loss so cast shade in our hearts, that the blessings of others are not cause for celebration, but only of mystery.  Why them, why not all?  Can we truly find joy in the good fortune of others, or is our joy constricted only to the good fortune poured out upon us?  For me, it brings me extreme comfort to know the blessing of remission for the “horse lady” my wife is so fond of.  And amazement with even greater joy, to know that Frank lives what he believes even against the advice of medical science.  That could not have been an easy decision for him or his family.  It could still go south, but then, it already could have gone south.  So each day that Frank lives, is a testimony to the love of God for a man I have never met.  And Frank’s life will lift up my faith, no matter the outcome, it already has.  It continues to, and I will continue to pray for him, because he needs it, as do I.

I wonder then, if it is different for you, if you are young enough, or blessed enough, not to have suffered many losses so far.  In those instances, I wonder if the good fortune of others, is something you take great joy in or not?  I fear sometimes we are so busy, that what joy our neighbor experiences never even touches our doorstep.  We post a like on Facebook, and continue to scroll.  In real life, our neighbor is not someone we socialize with, and so hear their happy and sad stories only on rare occasions.  But you would think the church might be the one place where the joy and the sadness come together for the sharing with the rest of the body of Christ.  I don’t think it is.  We have very structured worship services.  We ask for participation in the joy, and offer no venue for the sadness.  We do hold the funerals from time to time, so the ultimate loss might be shared.  But prior to that it is made of prayer requests, and brief 30 second explanations of what might be profound struggles we deal with.  My wife is terrified that without Oscar I am going to wind up falling through our glass tables, or will continually forget my medicine being distracted by work at home.  Those are real fears for her.  But the church as it sits, is not the place for her to share them.  It would take a weaving of personal conversations there with people who take a personal interest, otherwise she might come and go, and no one be the wiser.

That is how the modern church is today.  We ask for believers to come and share their joy.  To participate in worship music.  To try to get a sense of the positive from having gone to church.  We mask the sadness, and ignore it.  And then we wonder why people lose interest in coming.  Does church offer a place to meet the need?  What if your problem is ongoing?  What if you are struck down by inabilities that shape the very fortunes of your life?  Luke in chapter thirteen of his gospel letter to this friend Theophilus about what we believe and why tells of a woman who suffered for 18 long years without the ability to fully extend her body.  She was perpetually hunched over, severely.  Yet she still struggled to go to synagogue every week.  She sought God.  Even if the church, governed by the iron hand of men, was not a friendly venue for a woman to find God.  Even if her fortunes were judged as punishment for her vast sins, by an angry God.  She was at best a cautionary tale.  A horror story parents told their children would happen to them, if they did not obey.  But that was not true.  And Jesus had something to say about the image of an angry God, and the insensitivities of men who thought they ruled the church which He founded.

Luke picks up in verse 10 saying … “And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.”  You will note, the failure of the church both then and now, does not prevent our Lord from going to meet us at church on His Holy Day.  This is yet another of the many texts that show Jesus attending church on the Seventh Day Sabbath He ordained for such joyous occasions.  Not only attending, but teaching, the true image of His Father and our Father God.  Imagine what it must have been like to hear the Truth of God right in front of your eyes and ears.  Way better than any worship music.  Way better than offering calls, and children’s stories, and a regimen that does not have the time for an individual.  When Jesus spoke, He spoke right to your heart.  He cut through the noise of life’s distractions and reminded you what Love was.  He reminded you why you were not only worth saving to God, but that God had made it His number one mission to save you, despite anything you encountered in life. 

Your fortunes are not governed by disease, or bad luck, or natural consequence.  They are a tapestry, woven together, to save you as well as everyone you encounter.  My wife told me how much her “young man” hated God when he entered that cancer treatment area of the hospital.  He encountered other patients, some of them Christian who died before he did.  But what they said lived on in his ears, and their lives became a celebration in his own heart.  They did not pass without meaning, but instead their passing offered him a greater perspective on the next life possible with a loving God.  It was only then that his encounters with the “horse lady” would seal the deal.  And now his own life remains a testimony to the all the medical staff who knew him, touching their hearts and lives, and standing as a firm candle to the light of God.  I wish our churches had time for sharing like this with each other, beyond the greetings of hello and goodbye, but real time to listen, and comfort, and pray.  That kind of real sharing might do more than rekindle interest in going to church on Sabbath, it might change the body entirely for the better.

Luke continues in verse 11 saying … “And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. [verse 12] And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. [verse 13] And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.”  Hold the phone.  Stop the sermon.  Interrupt everything.  Through the crowds that gather, in the very back of the synagogue in the places set aside for the women, (so that they do not disturb the men, because it is only the men who matter), is a woman unable to straighten herself up.  You do not see her head bobbing up and down with all the others.  Instead you catch a glimpse of it at waist or knee level of the others, intently listening, but unable to move well.  And she had been like this for 18 years.  But this was not a genetic disease.  It was an actual demon inhabiting her and causing her great misery.  This demon thought if her misery was high enough and struggle hard enough she would not even try to go to church.  But she did.  And this week she was hearing about the Love of God in words so clear, they cut her like a knife.

But then the unexpected happened.  Jesus stopped everything, and called to her.  Just His voice, gave her strength she had never known.  She obeyed without question and went to Him.  And He told her, “Woman, that art loosed”.  With that, the demon was sent spiraling out of this church and far far away.  The woman remained, but the years of damage to her body had now taken their toll.  So Jesus reaches out and puts His hands upon her.  He helps her up, and His creative energy flows through her, correcting bone, muscle, and joint.  She is restored to what she was intended to be.  This is the testimony of salvation for us all.  First to rid us of the devil in us.  To take the burden of sins from us and loose those chains that bind us.  Then to restore what has been made deformed over so many years.  To restore us to what He intends for us to be.  That is the very nature of salvation.  And when you finally allow yourself to experience it, through the submission of your will to Jesus, you will explode, like this woman exploded, no longer silent, but glorifying God for all to hear.  Her joy could not be contained.  It could not be pushed back into the rear of the building and muffled so as not to disturb the men.  It was right there in center court, loud for all to hear, and God was lifted up in praise that could not be denied, for she had been saved in spirit, heart, and body.

All of this in the middle of church, in the middle of church service.  Jesus made time for this woman’s grief and sadness.  He stopped teaching to demonstrate healing.  The needs of the one sheep, the least sheep in the flock, became more important to him, than the other 99.  Jesus wants the full 100 to be restored.  But alas, the elders who value tradition, reverence, and rules, did not share in the good fortunes of this woman.  They did not join her praise to God, but rather became angry at all this flaunting of so many years of established tradition and male dominance.  Luke continues in verse 14 saying … “And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.”  How many times have I heard that.  How many times has true “ministry” been criticized because it dared to be seen on Sabbath in His church.  True “ministry” looks too much like real work.  Why not wait till the other six days of the week to conduct it.  Why attempt it when Jesus is there in the building.  And today we make “work” our excuse not to minister, so that we can hurry up and leave to go to the nearest restaurant where we have no problem being served by those who would benefit from time away with our God.  But this leader of the synagogue not only did not share in the good fortune of this woman, he actively condemned it, and condemned Jesus for creating it.

Jesus responds in verse 15 saying … “The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? [verse 16] And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? [verse 17] And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.”  Jesus knows it is “work” to feed the livestock, but he also knows it is work that cannot skip a day.  It is ministering work that reflects a love for our animals.  I never actually thought it was work to take care of my dogs.  Oscar was so close in my heart, he was like another child, with special needs and rewards that only he could offer.  His hunger was never something to be categorized as work to me, it was only hunger, and needed to be addressed.  And his love for me was never in question.  People sometimes have a hard time loving others like that, myself included.  But Jesus was making a greater point.

Why did this woman suffer in this synagogue for 18 years, instead of only 1 week?  Why didn’t the leaders of this church lay hands upon her, and call for Father God to heal her, and drive out the demon within her?  They did not, because they cared not.  Women were just not that important to begin with.  These leaders were too timid to publicly demonstrate their lack of faith, never believing it was even possible.  And they did not visit her on the other six days they recommended for this kind of work either.  No, instead they were content to let her suffer and blame her for her suffering.  Has anything changed?  If God is supposed to be praised in our services, don’t you think we could offer those in need, and those who are suffering a reason to experience new joy.  Why instead do we mask their suffering, and pretend it should not exist.  Why not uncover their suffering, and offer the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to see it removed, once and for all.  Isn’t that what church is supposed to be all about?  If you want to see explosive joy today, get off your butt, and interact with God, to bring Jesus into the life of the suffering, so that they have reason to explode in praise to God.  When Jesus pointed these things out to the leaders there, they were ashamed.  As should we be.  If we are content to see the suffering, continue to suffer, we should also be ashamed.  For we know the cure, we know the medicine, it is Jesus Christ and Him alone.

But there is hope.  For the believers who knew this woman, and attended church with her, shared in her joy.  And they too began to praise God.  An act of Love as demonstrated by God Himself, to interrupt even church for the sake of one in need, touched the hearts of those in attendance.  News of it would spread far and wide.  Relieving suffering was even more important to God, than delivering His own sermon and Truth.  He could take the time out to see suffering relieved.  The sermon would be waiting till He was finished changing lives.  That was the priority of the Son of God, and His Father, and His Holy Spirit.  Why is it not ours?  Why do we so value and treasure structure in church, that we make no time for those in real need.  If we cannot demonstrate the love of Jesus in real time, to real people, we are nothing more than noise.  We need to adjust how we think about church.  We need to adjust our ideas about why people praise, and become more active in giving them reason to.  Let our own tapestry make more of a difference.  And as my wife reminds me, take joy in the lives of others, even when you have suffered loss in your own.  The families of patients who have passed on, still celebrate the lives of those who have not.  Those families have suffered horrific loss, yet they can share joy with others who have not.  Not all of them Christian.  So should we do any less?  Would that in church we grieved more together, and then sought the Lord to relieve our grief, until we have reason for overwhelming joy.  It has happened before.  It will happen again.

 

Sabbath Run Amok ...

Perhaps the most challenged Commandment of the Ten, and most challenging to keep, is the fourth one that ordained in stone what Adam and Eve were long ago familiar with.  The Sabbath is more than just a Commandment God gave to Moses on Sinai.  It is an institution established at the very creation of our world.  It is something God setup to mark the conclusion of His creation of this world, and His intent to fellowship with us His new creations.  It was setup before sin.  As was marriage and family, institutions God setup with no expiration date, or need to change them.  Sin did not alter what God setup, at least from God’s perspective.  But sin caused us to pollute what God setup and what He intended.  Both marriage and family as well as the Sabbath fellowship with God have suffered and decayed over the 6000+ years since they began.  But all of God’s institutions will be restored when we are taken home, purified from the effects of sin and evil, and restored to the plans God created that were not intended to expire in the first place.  But if you look around you today, you see the entire concept of the Sabbath as one of great controversy (not unlike what is happening with the state of marriage and family as well).  What God setup, Satan is intent on tearing down.

Between Adam and Noah institutions like the Sabbath were handed down Father to Son orally.  While this period lasted 2000 years, the generations that lived before the flood had long average ages so there were not actually that many of them between creation and the Flood.  From Noah to Abraham the same tradition of Father to Son were present, but men had even less desire to keep to a fellowship with God.  By the time Abraham arrives on the scene he is forced to ponder who God is, and because he is nearly the only one looking, he is the only one who finds our God.  Once again Father to Son is established.  But many years later Egyptian slavery nearly wipes out the traditions and Moses must establish a written tradition to commemorate the Sabbath in stone written by the very finger of God. 

When the children of Israel wander through the desert, they are given a living example of the freedom of Sabbath when manna comes in double portion on Fridays that will last through Sabbath, but on no other day does it behave so.  As the years go by the prophet Isaiah writes of celebrating the Sabbath (note the concept of celebration) in heaven for eternity.  Isaiah is given a glimpse at what God had in mind for the Sabbath as it was God’s day off with us (not the other way around).  We did nothing to make the Sabbath Holy, God did that with His particularly special presence.  We were supposed to remember that, and honor His time with our time, insuring we do not impend on anyone else’s time with our same God.  Yet instead of a celebration, the Sabbath became an institution of rules; of can’s, and cannot’s.

By the time church leadership was done with it, the Sabbath became an onerous, nearly unkeepable, fully depressing period of time, people were guilted into following each week.  The idea of time off with God was replaced with what you cannot do, a list so long it was way too hard to remember at all.  In our day Sabbath observance for those who believe the day has been changed to Sunday (though there is not a single example of this in scripture, or in the behavior and example of what Jesus did or said) consists of “going to church”.  Once church is complete, the day returns to the worshipper to do with as he sees fit.  When you ask folks who believe Sabbath is on Sunday how they celebrate it, the most common answer is “going to church”.  When you ask them what they do after that, the celebration breaks down fairly quickly to whatever routine tasks they do any other day.  But don’t jump on the criticism bandwagon too quickly just yet. 

For those folks who believe Sabbath is on Saturday as God originally created and intends for eternity; the answer to how they celebrate Sabbath is exactly the same.  Number one answer: they go to church.  When asked what they do after that, there are a few other activities that come up.  Potluck feasts, sundown worship sessions, and maybe some nature related activities when weather and location permit.  Sounds better in principle, but not that much in reality.  Most of these folks in reality spend Sabbath afternoons sleeping (cause there is not much else they are allowed to do).  In either case, you will hear a million different excuses about why Sabbath observance is not really needed anymore anyway other than to pay it the nominal attention of “going to church”.  After that it is up to the worshipper what they do on it, no matter what day they believe Sabbath is on.  A degeneration based on a rules philosophy and enforced by the enemy of God that would see the celebration of Sabbath with our God descend into something else entirely.  Namely routine.

Routines are something we humans cling to very tightly.  We use them to keep from “breaking” the Sabbath.  The Pharisees has the same concept more than 2000 years ago in the time of Christ.  But what you and I think is on the list of do’s and don’ts is not even how God thinks at all.  For Jesus the Sabbath is awesome because for at least one day in seven, we turn our eyes to Him.  He is always with us, but we so rarely turn our eyes away from what we normally do, and give Him any attention at all.  He set aside His time to be with us.  Just in doing that Jesus made Sabbath Holy.  His presence makes something Holy.  When Moses approached the burning bush, God asked him to remove his sandals because the place were he was standing was “Holy” ground.  That patch of land was not normally holy.  It was holy because God was there.  The same is true of Sabbath, it is Holy because Jesus is with us.  And in the time of Christ, this was never more true.  Jesus was there.  And when Jesus was there, the fellowship with God was really ALL that mattered.  The Pharisees (and most of us unfortunately) don’t even come close to this way of thinking.  We are looking for lists of restrictions, while God is looking to spend focused time, without the distractions of the norms of our lives.

And so conflict between the position of church leadership and our God was sure to reveal itself.  Luke recounts this conflict in the sixth chapter of his gospel letter to his friend about our beliefs and why we hold them.  Keep in mind Luke wrote his gospel long after these events occurred.  If there had ever been a change in the day from Saturday to Sunday, Luke could have easily noted that in his gospel.  He did not.  No change had occurred, nor should man presume he is able to change what God setup, and still call it Holy.  More like disaster.  But the conflict back in the days of Christ was not about which day Sabbath was on, but about what is “allowed” to do on the Sabbath at all.  Luke picks up in verse 1 saying … “And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. [verse 2] And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?”

A little irony for you, the church leaders telling the author and creator of the Sabbath, what He and His people can do on His day.  But the Pharisees had taken the example of the Israelites in the time of Moses where manna was given in double portion on Fridays and lasted without spoiling all the way through Saturday as a “law” that food preparation should be done the day before the Sabbath so that no cooking was ever done “on” Sabbath.  The idea of serving others on Sabbath never entered their minds.  The idea of loving others through service freely given never entered their minds.  The Pharisees had a very self-centric viewpoint of Sabbath.  The Sabbath is about me.  What I do.  What I cannot do.  Others are only incidental to my Sabbath.  I shall not employ them.  But other than that, they are irrelevant to “my” Sabbath.  The response of Jesus did not reprimand them for their desire to minimize food preparation to make the Sabbath even more free from distraction.  Instead Jesus points them to David (one of their heroes) and recalls an incident where David ate food prepared for priests alone, and gave it to his men as well.  It was not the act of David that was Ok.  It was the Lord over the rules who loved His servant and made an exception for David, as Jesus could make an exception for His disciples valuing fellowship and trust, more than strict rules that destroy fellowship altogether.

Luke continues in verse 3 saying … “And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; [verse 4] How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? [verse 5] And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”  Jesus identifies Himself as LORD of the Sabbath.  God created the Sabbath.  Therefore Jesus is also our Creator and God.  This example of the disciples feeding themselves (gleaning in a field) is not one to endorse theft, or eating out on Sabbath, or minimizing food preparation, or making your act of love serving others food on Sabbath.  This was about keeping your eye on the ball.  Being with Jesus is more important than ANY other distraction.  “How” you honor Jesus is not up for debate.  “That” you honor Jesus is the salient point.  If your idea of honoring time with Jesus is to force or hire others to serve you in order for you to be free (you forget that your love for those others should have left them free to honor our God as well).  Making the excuse that they would have working anyway whether you are there or not, is not making any statement about them, but it does make a statement about you, about how you think, and about how you value them, or love them.  Loving others drives a different way of thinking about the celebration of Sabbath.  Not about what you can and cannot do, but about how you can share the love of God, and thereby fellowship with Jesus even when Jesus cannot be seen today.

But the Pharisees had established routines far more extreme than this.  They had lost all value for others.  The care of the sick did not outweigh the obligation to do no work on the Sabbath.  Get that, people, less than rules.  The sharing of love was fully absent in that thinking.  But it was and is not absent in the thinking of our God.   Luke continues in verse 6 saying … “And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. [verse 7] And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. [verse 8] But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. [verse 9] Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? [verse 10] And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. [verse 11] And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.”

And here is where popularity goes right out the window.  Jesus healed on Sabbath because our God does not take the concept of Him taking a day off as meaning He abandons everything He does to keep us alive and well.  If God just stopped turning planets, sending rain, reminding you to breath – we all die in an instant.  That is not His idea of making a day Holy.  It is about spending time with us.  When we see the suffering, how can we just leave them in that condition, just because it is Sabbath – then call ourselves Sabbath observers.  Love does not take a day off.  Love is constant ever present.  But then Love does not ask for anything in return either.  Jesus did not demand payment for services rendered.  So many purported Sabbath keepers pick medical careers in order to be able to “work” on Sabbath.  And so they do.  They “work” in the service of healing, but share no love because they feel no love.  They get paid for services rendered because why wouldn’t they?  They get overtime and shift differentials and actually prefer to work on Sabbaths because it pays better.  And hey it is all legal – because of this story in the gospels.  But legal is not the goal – loving is.

How Jesus healed, was why Jesus ate with His disciples.  Because He loved them and us, and wants to share with us in the joy of fellowship.  His joy is not blind to our needs, but ever trying to meet our needs.  It is a reflection of His love for us.  Love does not demand payment.  Nor does love look for distractions from a time with God.  For those who heal, or serve others in any capacity on Sabbath, because it is a reflection of their love for others – no man should judge.  Many work on Sabbath serving communities, or nations, or the sick, or in critical functions like utilities – where if they should stop working many others would suffer or die.  These professions are honorable.  And if they serve from love, they honor the Sabbath of their God.  But if they merely serve for careers, thinking not about who they serve or why, and focusing more on the money it takes to support them, their debts, their families, than they do about sharing love.  Perhaps they should find different professions, or seek the Lord, to find different hearts in the same professions.  The Sabbath is not about what we can and cannot do.  It is about who we love, how we love, and how we honor God’s time with our own.

Putting away distractions we can do any other of the six days in our week, allows us to focus on Jesus even more on His day.  I can shop anytime.  But on His day, I want to do something for Him.  I can entertain myself anytime.  But on His day, I want my entertainment to bring me closer to Him, to give me another insight into Him, and to motivate me to do something for Him.  I work because I need to,  But on His day, I want to free myself from the concerns of my career.  I want to keep as many others as I can free from theirs as well, avoiding putting them in positions where they are required to serve me.  But none of this matters, if I forget who I love, how I love, and why His love can live in me in the first place.  My Creator is also my re-Creator.  His gift of the Sabbath to me, is more precious to me than gold.  And I only hope He will continue to help me find better ways to explore the celebration of His day, in this world, and in the next one.

 

Vain Obedience ...

How can you obey a command you do not understand?  Your boss hands you a stack of papers 18 inches thick, the type font is small, they are single spaced and double-sided type, and they are written in a combination of Cyrillic, Kanji, and ancient Babylonian.  He says simply to you, do what this says and walks away.  You stare blankly at the papers, not even knowing where to begin.  The task is overwhelming.  But it is not just the magnitude of a challenge that can make it difficult.  Different scenario.  Your boss walks up to you and says … be ready for this afternoon’s meeting.  The command is simple.  The expectation at least superficially understood.  But then, what all might that simple command imply?  Is there some material you are supposed to memorize?  Are you supposed to be ready to present?  Are you just supposed to be ready to get there on time, maybe 15 minutes early?  While the command is very simple in language, duration, and seemingly in intent.  It could mean a hundred different things.  How could you possibly be “ready” for every scenario this might imply?  How could anyone?

To begin to know what to do, could start with a knowledge of your boss.  If your boss is a mystery to you, and does things nearly always in a random manner, you are up a creek.  But if your boss is fairly consistent, and has given you similar guidance in the past, with perhaps more context in those times.  Maybe you could extrapolate your history of life with your boss, to this particular event.  At least your odds of pleasing your boss go up, based on following the pattern your boss may have laid out up to now.  Even then, sometimes it is not just the “what” that we do, it is the “how” that we do it.  When my boss gives me a command it is “understood” by him (and should be by me), that whatever he asks me to do, he intends for me to accomplish it in an ethical and legal manner.  Meeting a sales quota by sniping customers from a team mate is unacceptable.  Goal achieved, but method of achievement negates the accomplishment.  It gets even worse if you resort to fraud, or theft, or some other nefarious means to attempt to meet the assigned objective.

So when God tells us to do something, do we find ourselves in the same boat as when the boss gives us a simple edict without nearly enough context to know what we are supposed to do?  Take the Sabbath as an example.  We are supposed to “remember it”.  Easy enough.  We are not likely to “forget” a day of the week.  But then the remembering was in the context of “to keep it Holy”.  Ut-oh.  Here is where we rapidly go downhill.  Humans are really bad at understanding anything about Holiness.  We are sort of the living embodiment of the opposite of Holiness.  So how do we keep something Holy when we do not understand almost anything about Holy in the first place?  More context is offered.  We are advised not to work on this day.  But not just us.  Not our servants either.  In fact, no one who is within our gates, will be required to work on this day.  This is great context.  It helps us get a better idea of what is being requested here.  But is that it?  Then comes the inevitable question, how exactly do you define “work”? 

Is work something I do for money, perhaps only what I do for money?  Then the husband puts his feet up, and the wife continues to “work” all throughout the day?  That does not seem like the ask.  So then the definition of work must extend past just activities I do for money.  How do I know?  Well, the example of manna that fell in the wilderness over 40 years to feed the Israelites gives us a good indication.  Manna was only good for a single day, until Friday when a double portion fell, and it did not spoil over Sabbath.  That meant on Sabbath no gathering, and no prep.  You could simply enjoy the food made the day before.  Presumably this means mom gets a break too.  Presumably this means the servants can take the day off.  Presumably God wants to relate to everyone on Sabbath, not just those of advantage.  And it would appear God defines work with a broader brush than just what I do for money.  And of course, God defined His own rest, as being a rest from the work of creation He had done the previous six days.  His creation looks more like art to me, though perhaps it is science, or perhaps just genius – but He rested from it and the universe kept spinning.

Enter the Pharisees and Sadducees, both had a keen interest in “keeping” the law.  Israel had suffered war, famine, and slavery for ignoring the law over their history.  Though a closer examination of God’s patience running out usually corresponded to Israel worshipping other gods that required them to throw babies (mostly male) into the fires, while preserving female babies to become temple prostitutes.  The ruining of young lives just seemed to be the straw that broke the back of God’s patience with the people who claim His name.  Consider that as you examine the state of how we treat young lives in our own country and churches.  So the modern church leadership in the days of Christ, had a very keen intent to keep the law so as never to see the wars and slavery they had experienced in the past.  They developed then, an extensive additional set of context around what it means to “keep” the Sabbath.  Their list of rules, eventually devolved into walking only a certain number of steps.  Food preparation must be done the day before, or you went hungry.  And yet despite all these precautions, Rome was still in power, and Jews were still slaves.  However since the Sanhedrin still existed, they reasoned, they had to be doing something right.

Then along comes Jesus.  Matthew begins chapter twelve of his gospel touching on the most important commandment, the primary one that sets the people of God apart from every other religion on planet earth.  Outside of circumcision, and kosher diets, what makes a Jew a Jew is the keeping of the Sabbath.  The Sanhedrin had become confident in “how” they did what they did.  They became confident that they were “obeying” the law, to the extent that the law required, and a good measure further just in case.  So does the modern Christian.  While not obsessed with the law, we are equally as certain, that we obey our Lord, to the extent that He has asked, and a little extra just in case.  But perhaps in our certainty of obedience is nothing more than vanity.

Matthew begins in verse 1 saying … “At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. [verse 2] But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.”  A lot to unpack here.  First, Jesus and crew were walking through a corn field, this act by itself would negate the idea of how many steps one could take before it crossed the line into work which was precluded to do on the Sabbath.  Strike One.  Then, his disciples get hungry, likely from seeing and smelling all the ripe corn right in front of their faces.  It is kind of like sitting in front of the TV watching your favorite show, and after a few advertisements for pizza, you begin to crave pizza.  But no matter, the disciples begin to pick and shuck the corn in preparation of eating it.  This was food preparation, for which there were specific examples in earlier scripture of why this should be prohibited.  Also note, Jesus Himself, was not actually doing this, He elected to go hungry.  But for His disciples, Strike Two.  Then the disciples proceeded to eat the corn (apparently none of them offered ears to Jesus, their Master, clearly an oversight driven by bodily needs).  But legally, eating fruit of the poisoned preparation tree results in, you guessed it, Strike Three.

The Sanhedrin knew the law on this matter.  So the leadership brings this horrible infraction of the law to Jesus’ attention, giving Jesus no credit for refraining from it Himself.  The disciples (people who they did not appreciate) were breaking it.  The patriarchs of the faith however, were people the leadership venerated.  Long dead, Moses, Joshua, Samson, and David, could do no wrong.  They had become Jewish saints if there could ever be such a thing.  So Jesus chooses to use that in His response to them.  Matthew continues in verse 3 saying … “But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; [verse 4] How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?”

In our day we call this “what-about-ism”.  Jesus does not actually say that what the disciples did is OK against the letter of the law.  But He does make a comparison of people the Pharisees besmirch with the honorable can-do-no-wrong, compared-with-the-heart-of-God David and his crew.  The Jewish saint they venerate, and his men (who in actuality, were all incredibly efficient killers on the battlefield, none other of their skills preserved in Jewish scrolls), went into the Temple.  This was a huge no-no, only the priests are even allowed in there.  Then they ate the shewbread, which is an offering to God, that ONLY the priests were allowed to eat under specific conditions.  Another huge no-no.  Those infractions are also clearly a part of the known Jewish law, at the time of David, until this time.  And scripture records no prayer of David begging forgiveness for what he and his men did.  They just did it.  Net result.  How can the leadership there in attendance criticize the disciples of Jesus for doing something far less an infraction, than the historical leader David did (who they publicly venerate as some sort of saint)?  It would be hypocritical, or rather, it would point out the hypocrisy of valuing people in any sort of caste system, putting them on a level playing field with the very men they “knew” they were above.

Next Jesus really twists their thinking as He continues in verse 5 saying … “Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?”  This one is a true mindbender.  On Sabbath, priests (and in our day preachers) “work”.  They do the “work” of the Lord, but it is still “work”.  Back then, that “work” involved killing innocent lambs as a symbolism foretelling the killing of Jesus Himself.  It was and is shedding innocent blood, for the remission of sins.  Killing too, was prohibited in the law.  The shedding of blood in the Temple was highly controlled, and on Sabbath, would have been considered work.  They “profane” the Temple by continuing a practice driven by the evil in men’s hearts.  But the priests are held blameless.  Working to bring men to God is not considered “work” by the God on the end of that equation.  Even though we pay preachers and priests to do it, and even though “most” of their work is conducted on the very day we are commanded to rest.

Now Jesus has pointed out publicly that the priests who are so critical, have a profession where they work on the Sabbath with regularity despite the incongruence with the law.  The anger brews in the mind of the rebuked Pharisee, for they remain certain in their vain obedience, that correction even from the mouth of God is not met with acceptance, but with hatred.  Jesus continues in verse 6 saying … “But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.”  Now Jesus has gone too far, now He has crossed a line He will never be able to uncross.  The Temple was “the” place where God Himself sat upon the Mercy seat.  It was His holy presence behind that curtain that made all of Israel fear and tremble daring not to peek behind it even for a second, lest the contrast between true Holiness and our state, cause us to die.  Only once a year did the High Priest, after much consecration and prayer, dare to go behind the curtain for a prescribed practice.  Even then, he wore bells on the hems of his garment and a rope around his ankle, so that if the bells went silent, the attendants could pull him out knowing he was dead, and being unable to retrieve his body any other way lest they themselves die in the process.

That was the definition of Holiness to a Jew, it is irony we have so casual a view of it.  And here stood Jesus, claiming to be One greater than the Temple (upon whose seat it was He who sat).  Jesus was now making a clear statement that the buildings dedicated to His service, are NOT as important as the God they purport to serve.  Jesus was saying He can be found outside of Temple walls.  Jesus was saying that being close to His people was and is the most important thing to Him, even when that is in the middle of a corn field on some random Sabbath.  Proximity to Jesus is not about buildings, it is about a desire to be close.  Here was the God they worshipped standing right in front of them, but they failed to see, all the while believing they were in perfect obedience to the law.  And their certainty resulted in the idea that God Himself did not understand or obey His own law.  Literally the definition of error, or hypocrisy, or vanity, all stemming from the certainty of human “wisdom”.

When met with correction, they responded in hatred, for vanity has no room for correction.  And are we even the slightest tittle different than they?  We create “standards” of Sabbath keeping in our minds, and then judge all others by them, while refusing to see the God who so longs to stand right in front of us.  Because we believe in the sanctity of the law of God, and in the continuing proscriptions of Sabbath keeping that started in the Garden of Eden, was given to Moses in the law, and is prophesied to continue in Heaven after this world has passed – we translate our “belief” into our obedience to keep this day.  Yet we know nothing of “how” to truly obey, we have only lists we construct of do’s and don’ts ignoring the God who could put us in harmony with His law.  We take our eyes off of God and put them on what we do against His request.  And irony of ironies, we are rather loose with His direct context of the cessation of work, either working ourselves “for the benefit of our families”, or causing others to serve us “because they were going to be at work anyway”.

But Jesus then cuts to the heart of the matter as He continues in verse 7 (no pun intended) saying … “But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. [verse 8] For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”  The Sabbath is not about what, it is about Who.  The Sabbath is not even about how, it is about Who.  It was Jesus who “made” a block of time Holy.  Only His proximity to it could accomplish that, the same way His proximity to our earth on Mt. Sinai made a block of ground Holy, that Moses was asked to remove his shoes before he walked on it.  Without Jesus involved, the day is just time, and the earth is just earth.  It was about Jesus who “hallowed” it.  He set aside His time to be with us, in a special way, for an entire day, at the end of every week.  He asked us to put aside our other distractions in order to have time to be with Him.  He asked us to be unselfish and not keep others from having time to be with Him as well.  Being close to Jesus, putting away other priorities is what Sabbath is all about.  Hanging out with Dad.  Playtime with Dad.  That is what the Sabbath is all about.  And because the disciples with Him are doing just that, they were in fact guiltless.  It is up to Jesus to decide what is “keeping” the Sabbath with Him, it is not up to us.  Our ideas do not count, only His.

That is how the incongruent actions of priests back then and preachers in our day on Sabbath still make sense.  They are about bringing people to the Lord of the Sabbath.  That is why the disciples choosing to eat with Jesus on their way to demonstrate the gospel to people in need make sense.  They were already with the Lord of the Sabbath, escorting Him to people in such desperate need of hearing a word from Jesus, the Son of God.  It was more important for them to be with Jesus, than to be in the Temple on this day.  That is why we put away our amusements that take us away from Christ, why we cease working, but also cease thinking about working, it is all to have unrestricted playtime with the same Jesus.  You cannot contain that in a list of do’s and don’ts, no matter how long or how thorough you think it is.  You can only begin to see that in a set of principles.  Where I bring others to God, it is a good thing.  Where I do good unto them, it is a good thing.  Where I ask others to serve me, I cause them to lose time with God on my behalf.  It is mercy, I am to be showing.  It is mercy for others, love for others, that if it was my first motivation, would bring me in better harmony with the entirety of the law, not only the Sabbath, but not forgetting it either.

When Jesus saves us, from us, from our self-love and addiction of the same; He creates in us a love for others, that changes the nature of how we think about Sabbath.  The context changes.  The requirement does not, but the vanity begins to slip away.  A knowledge or belief that we are supposed to keep Sabbath is not the same thing as actually doing it.  Repeating the traditions of our forefathers; going to church, singing, praying and coming home again does not equal Sabbath observance as God defines it in a field of corn on a mission to actually spread His word to those who have never heard it.  The gospel does not only look inward, it looks outward where its mercy is so desperately needed.  

Only the unchanged heart is content to experience the praise of God, holding those good feelings inward, and sharing them only with those who also already understand them.  The changed heart is driven to the dirty, to the sick, to the hungry, to the least of these – because they have the greatest need.  Until we are led to discover what keeping anything Holy really means, we do not understand what was asked of us.  And we must be led to discover it, for Holiness does not originate in us.  Following God, leads us there.  Attempting to blaze the trail based on our accumulated wisdom leads to the path of the Pharisee, to the path of vain obedience based upon certainty and trust in “our wisdom”, that when confronted with what God thinks, responds in hatred and desire to kill God and anyone who truly follows His lead …

And the dispute over this was not over yet …

 

Author of Sabbath Rest ...

The letter of the Ten Commandment law tells us to “remember” and to keep the Sabbath Holy.  We are forbidden to work, or to have others work for us.  Over the years between the time of Moses and the time of Christ, much study and debate had gone in to the interpretation of those scriptures.  In the intervening period, Israel had suffered more than once for discarding God’s laws and pursuing the practices of their neighbors.  So the religious leadership in the day of Christ inheriting the wealth of study from prior generations and building upon it with their own collective wisdom, had developed a strict series of rules around Sabbath observance, that essentially turned the joy of spending time with God, into a drudgery that made life difficult during this day. 

Of course, the people of Israel had never been invaded because “how” they were keeping Sabbath was not up to the “high standards” God had set.  No, the people of Israel were invaded when they had so forsaken God because of indulging the free sexual expression of neighboring tribes that sex with temple prostitutes, and orgies in the woods, had led to the inevitable unwanted offspring with foreign women.  The female offspring were destined to become a new generation of idolatrous temple prostitutes themselves, while the male offspring became living sacrifices on the altars of Moloch and Baal.  When Israel had degenerated to the point of killing its own children without conscience, it was time to be invaded once again.  But rather than build strict guidelines to govern their sexuality and confine it to the intimacy of marriage between one man and one wife, the Pharisees spent their time crafting rules about Sabbath observance.  Divorce in fact was easy, Sabbath however was difficult.

It is in this time of tradition and rules regarding “how” Sabbath must be observed that the Messiah begins His ministry for our redemption.  Imagine how dismayed our God must have been, to see us systemically turn His day, which only He could have “made” Holy, into something that resembled more of a prison sentence, than a day of greatest intimacy with Himself.  Imagine how hard it must have been for Christ, who set aside His own work, in order to spend special time with us, to find that we had made the practice of spending time with Him so onerous, no one remained interested in doing it.  Sabbath observance then, like now, degenerated into two lines of thinking.  There were the ultra conservatives, who attempted to keep every tradition and rule set down by the church, in a doomed attempt at keeping something holy, which could never be defined by their miserable attempts at self-denial.  And there were those who simply threw in the towel, and decided no precautions were required, anything goes, because God made me who I am.  How the Author of Sabbath would restore the beauty of Sabbath was about to be revealed.

Peter recalls to John Mark in his gospel chapter one and verse 21 saying … “And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.”  To begin, the traditional thinking about traveling on the Sabbath was discarded.  The Pharisees had set a limit of 1000 steps for the entire day, lest walking further might be interpreted as work.  Here, Jesus and His disciples travel to Capernaum with no thought about getting around, or limiting how far they would go on the day of Sabbath Rest.  They were not walking idly.  They were on a mission of redemption.  They were not paid couriers, or paid evangelists.  They were volunteer missionaries.  Instead of the apprehension that comes from strict observance of the “rules”, there was a sense of joy that comes from the privilege of joining with others to worship God on His day.

When they arrive at Capernaum on Sabbath, their first thought is NOT to check into a hotel.  They do not look for a restaurant to feed themselves.  Instead they head directly to the synagogue in order to worship.  Christ does NOT discard the practice of Sabbath observance, instead He intends to restore it to what it was intended to be.  He does not advocate we ignore Sabbath, but instead that we learn how to enjoy it with Himself and with like believers.  Notice too, He was uninvited.  He did not wait for a written invitation to come and speak, or for pay for doing so.  He goes because He wants to go.  He brings His disciples so they too can enjoy what is about to happen.  And He is NOT interested in being a silent wall flower that is there “feed Himself” with spiritual blessings.  He immediately begins to teach.

Mark continues in verse 22 … “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.”  Christ did not discard the Laws He Himself had given to Moses, instead He honored them.  But this was not to be a debate about what it means to keep Sabbath Holy, this was a living example of what it means to truly worship God.  Through the lens of Jesus Christ, the scriptures came to life.  From the God who loves others above Himself, the written words on the page were interpreted for probably the first time, as they were intended to be understood.  His authority over the Word came from being present when it was written.  Jesus knew the stories first hand, because He was there when they occurred.  His mission of redemption became the central theme He reveals to the people present on this Sabbath day, and those listeners are blown away by His doctrines.  Christ taught with passion about the reconciliation of the people to their God.  This was not to be a simple history lesson, but a living, breathing, relationship that could impact the lives of those in attendance with the God of the Universe who loved them this much.

The people in attendance in church that day forgot all about lunch.  Ending the sermon right at 12 noon, so they could run home and fill their empty stomachs, had lost all traces of thought.  They wanted more of the word of God, they were living the admonition of Christ that men live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  They longed for more.  They were intent to hear anything He would say.  Mysteries regarding the infinite love of God were being revealed through scripture in a way like they had never heard.  It was impacting every listener.  The Holy Spirit was being poured out in Capernaum and believers were having their eyes and ears opened by the voice of God in a way they had never dreamed possible.  Oh to have been in that crowd on that day.  Oh to have heard Jesus Christ preaching on Sabbath, the only right interpretation of scriptures we would ever hear.  These people were learning from the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself, an honor we must wait for.

Mark continues in verse 23 … “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, [verse 24] Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.”  First, it is important to note, that in that crowd on this Sabbath day, was a man with an unclean spirit.  A man possessed of demons.  So why was he at church?  The devil has no interest in helping men find God.  But perhaps before Jesus entered this synagogue the devil had no fear that what was being taught there had “anything” to do with Truth.  This man was not raving mad, adorned in chains, and frothing at the mouth.  He likely was dressed nicely and known to his neighbors.  But he was no less possessed.  He was in church when he was supposed to be in church, on the right day, at the right time.  But he was no less possessed.  He may have helped take up the offering, or say a prayer, or sing a song – but he was no less possessed.

How sad that in our fellowship can walk one who appears to be a like-minded believer, yet is possessed of demons who influence his life.  How sadder still, that this person could be us.  We have no idea it is the case, because we believe “we” are in charge of our lives.  Yet we are bound in sin, enslaved to loving and pleasing ourselves, with no hope of actually glimpsing self-control, let alone living in it.  It is so easy to look at others, ferret out their sins, point the accusing finger, and then believe ourselves to be holier by comparison.  But it is a false comparison, for in so doing, we reveal our lack of love, and motives of envy and pride.  We do not even realize we are consumed by those vices whose author was Lucifer of old.  We do not even realize it is we who may well be controlled by a darker spirit who keeps us from loving and focused only on judging and condemnation.  Until out of our own mouths, comes the voice of a demon we had no idea was in us in the first place.

The demon knows the end of the story.  The demon knows he has lost the war with God, and will one day face his destruction.  Notice too, the demon makes no reference to hell.  He is not existing in some other-dimensional place where fire torments him day and night.  His question is more accurate, and pointed, being … is it time for us to be destroyed?  The “hell” that exists for fallen angels and for mankind is the same.  It is living life apart from the source of ALL love.  It is knowing that the perfect bliss of loving others does exist, but that we have chosen not to be a part of it, and remain enslaved to loving only self.  That is hell.  That is real.  That exists right now, right here, and requires no flames to inflict a torture all of its own, a torture of our own making. 

The demon is moved to cry out, because he hears the words of Love coming from the mouth of Christ.  His first cry is … “Let us alone”.  The luring words of love and redemption Christ is offering fallen mankind are too much for the demon to withstand.  The torture of knowing God’s love but powerless to embrace it again brings the demon to the breaking point.  He cries out again … “what have we to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth”.  The demon did not go looking to confront Christ, he was happy just making the life of this man miserable.  The demon complains that since he was not looking for a confrontation he should just be left alone.  But his selfishness blinds him to the misery he causes his host, the poor blind man, who probably did not even know he was being possessed.  So the demon decides to do what he knows will be the most destructive thing he can do to stop the ministry of Christ … he decides to identify for all the listeners that “this man” is the literal Son of God.  To “out Christ” as divinity this early is sure to stir up controversy and cause those who might listen to shut Him off, due to preconceived ideas.

Mark continues in verse 25 saying … “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. [verse 26] And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.”  Jesus forbids the demon to say anything more, whatever damage he has caused will not be tolerated to continue.  And the demon is compelled to obey.  If Christ had been a mere mortal, created a little lower than the angels, and having no divinity within Him, the demon could have easily resisted.  Angels do not take commands from men.  They are stronger than us, wiser, and have lived for eons past our few little years.  But the demon was not talking with just a “Rabbi”, or a “prophet”, he was conversing with the Son of God.  He tore his victim, and cried out with a loud voice, but he said nothing more, and he left his host.  In a twist of irony, on the Sabbath day, in the house of God, it is a demon who once again affirms the identity of Jesus Christ.

Peter recalls the response to John Mark as he writes in verse 27 saying … “And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. [verse 28] And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.”  Those in that temple immediately assumed it was the doctrines of Christ that enabled Him to command demons to obey.  But then the realization it was also with authority that he commanded them and they did obey.  Notice too, the demon was more than one, the words “us” and “they” are used in conjunction with this event.  The fame of these events, the words of the demon, and the freedom from the bondage of possession would spread far and wide across all of Galilee.

The scene then transitions Mark writes in verse 29 … “And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.”  After this miracle, church service is over.  So Jesus goes to Peter’s house with His disciples, presumably for a lovely Sabbath afternoon lunch.  Mark continues in verse 30 … “But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. [verse 31] And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.”  Peter’s mother in law was sick that day, stricken by a severe fever that had left her bed ridden.  Jesus takes her by the hand, lifts her up, and the fever leaves her.  Jesus does not do this, because they are short help in the kitchen.  Instead He does this because He cannot pass by even one person in need.  Peter records it, because it is yet another healing performed by Christ on the Sabbath day.  Acts of love and redemption were the way the Sabbath was meant to be enjoyed, this is what the Author of the Sabbath had in mind.

Notice too, Jesus and his disciples do not go to a restaurant to find their food and sustenance.  They go instead where they are invited, and they receive the food that was offered to them.  The ministry of serving food to Jesus and his companions is accepted without a rebuke, or admonition to be careful “how” the meal is served and cleaned up.  We assume in the house of a fisherman, the diet would be a simple one of pita bread, fish, and perhaps some olive oil.  Peter was not a wealthy man, but he was honored to have His Lord in his home this fine Sabbath day.  Then he recalls that Christ spent the day in fellowship with Peter and his disciples and family.  Perhaps Jesus taught his mother in law, wife, and others in attendance what it means to love others like He loves them.  It is interesting though, the following texts would reveal that a great number of the people in the region still clung to the traditions of the Pharisees where it comes to Sabbath observance.  Note the following texts.

Mark continues in verse 32 saying … “And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. [verse 33] And all the city was gathered together at the door. [verse 34] And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.”  The people of the region wait until sunset, when the Sabbath is officially over, before they bring Jesus Christ those who were sick and possessed with devils in order to be healed.  Perhaps the people were afraid to walk too far to find relief.  Perhaps they believed it a “sin” to seek relief on the Sabbath day itself.  But Peter dispels those ideas by citing his own mother in law’s experience with Jesus before lunch.  You will also note, Jesus does not condemn these people for waiting until after Sabbath to seek healing.  There is no lecture about how they are “doing it wrong”.  It is only His own heart, that so longed to give them relief earlier, yet none would ask.

Notice too, whether they were sick or not, the entire city gathered at the door of Peter.  Many just wanted to see what Christ could or would do, and they were not disappointed.  All those who later would demand “yet another miracle” and they would believe in Jesus, would have had to have forgotten the events at Capernaum on this day.  No matter what the disease Jesus healed them all.  Jesus forbid the devils to speak, so they could not injure His ministry further, but drive them out He did.  The Author of the Sabbath was not present to condemn the people for “how” they kept that day.  He was there to liberate them from their own chains and ideas.  He was there to free them from the possession of sin they had no idea they were enslaved by.  He was there to meet their every need with acts of love that defined His life of service to others.  Jesus did not use the Sabbath as an excuse to setup a health clinic, justifying performing health works on Sabbath.  But He did not delay meeting a need when it was presented just because it was Sabbath either.

To study the behavior of the Author of Sabbath is to change how we think about what it means to keep that time Holy.  It changes what we are intended to “remember”.  It changes the nature of joy we can experience when spending time with Dad.  It can even change what it means to truly worship our God.  And the lessons of Jesus Christ had only just begun …